Mental Break
by Positron Weapon D
Summary: When Marie has some work to do at home, Darwin eagerly volunteers to look after their infant daughter. Once Marie is finished, she finds both daddy and daughter doing something all too adorable, and goes for a bittersweet stroll down memory lane. Darwin x Marie with mentions of Orlando x Li Hua. Contains mild spoilers for Chaos Rings II.


At long last, Marie was finished deciphering an old magic text for her work at the Academy of Magic she'd attended years ago. This particular undertaking had been difficult, time consuming, and generally frustrating, so to have finally finished it gave her a sense of accomplishment and pride. Finishing her work also meant that she could devote some time to her family. Darwin knew that she had some work on the old tome left, so he had told her that he would keep their four-month-old daughter occupied for a while. He had already been playing with little Lessica at the time, so Marie went ahead to get the last bit of work out of the way.

She closed the book and stood up from her desk, stretching her arms and legs before heading downstairs.

She was surprised at how quiet it was. When she'd left, Darwin had been reading to Lessica on the couch, and their little girl had been so fascinated by the vivid illustrations that she'd been mostly silent...save for when her daddy turned one of the pages too early for her liking, in which case, she'd express her displeasure with an annoyed squawk or shriek.

Marie still didn't hear anything upon descending the stairs, so she tried calling out. "Darwin! Where are you?"

She got a response, though it wasn't the kind she'd been expecting. From the living room, she could hear a faint groan that she knew very well, and she immediately went toward the source. She'd known Darwin for a long time, and she'd gotten to know many of his habits and mannerisms throughout the years. That particular vocalization was one that she'd only ever heard when he was stirring in his sleep. Needless to say, she was worried. Lessica couldn't crawl or anything yet, but it would still be unwise to leave her alone just to take a nap! At the same time, though, if Darwin was asleep, Lessica probably was too. Even so, she had to check.

Sure enough, when she passed through the doorway and into the living room, she saw Darwin fast asleep on the couch with Lessica, who was also sleeping peacefully, snuggled up against his chest.

Marie covered her mouth with both of her hands. They were too adorable, and she had to stop herself from cooing or doing anything to wake either of them up. Both father and daughter were breathing softly and sleeping peacefully, and while Darwin kept Lessica close with his arm, Lessica had the fabric of his shirt wadded up in one of her tiny fists. She couldn't help but smile at how much Lessica was drooling, even though it meant that Darwin would wake up to find a big wet spot on the front of his shirt. Still, knowing him, he wouldn't really mind in the end. He loved their little girl with all his heart, after all.

She combed her baby's hair out gently with her fingers, then repeated the affectionate gesture for her husband's head. She was so grateful that Darwin was such a loving father, always willing to devote so much time and attention to their daughter when he wasn't away with the Guard. He was ready to play with Lessica and shower her with affection at a moment's notice, but he was equally willing to change diapers, attempt to calm her down when she cried, and give her baths. Marie never doubted how incredible he'd be as a dad, but his dedication was still astounding.

The fact that he was always so helpful at home probably meant that he was draining his energy as a result. Even someone as determined and focused as Darwin could get worn out, and it didn't surprise her that on some occasions, what started as a mental break for him could turn into an impromptu nap.

Mental break...as the phrase went through her mind while she looked at the sleeping faces of her husband and her daughter, she couldn't help but remember a conversation she'd overheard years before...

Marie was twenty-one years old, and she was standing in the Hall that had been home to many Rites of Resealing. She and Orlando had been physically trapped as Sopia crystals with their consciousnesses resting both within Darwin and with Neron. The whole day, or rather, what was equivalent to several days occurring while time was stopped, had been quite an ordeal. Despite that, she, Orlando, and Li Hua were talking as if they hadn't been as good as dead just hours before...

 _"I'm just telling you what you'll be dealing with," Li Hua was saying to Orlando. "Not trying to scare you off or anything...I'm just trying to help you be mentally prepared."_

 _"Yeah, but...starting a fire in a shrine?" Orlando asked. "That doesn't seem like something a two-year-old could manage in just a few seconds...where'd he even get a match, anyway?"_

 _Li Hua groaned. "Ugh! There_ were _no matches, you idiot! Not that he could reach, anyway! It was a shrine, there were lit candles everywhere. He grabbed one and held it against the floor while I had my back turned!" She crossed her arms. "He's fast, Orlando, and you'd better believe he gets that from you."_

 _Marie had been listening and occasionally laughing at the story. Accidentally starting a fire in a shrine sounded exactly like something any son of Orlando's would do..._

 _She caught sight of Lessica approaching Darwin, though, and that distracted her for a moment._

 _"Are you feeling well?" Lessica was asking him. "I understand that Marie tended to your injuries, but that you were moderately concussed while fighting against Neron."_

 _"Oh...yeah," Darwin said, putting a hand on his head. "She's concerned about that one the most, and rightfully so. Those are tricky..." He sighed. "But she's going to treat it again in a bit, and check on it. It apparently has to be taken care of in steps. Between her skill and Neron's Sopia, though, I think I'll be okay. I don't want to be in bad shape when it's time to go up against Amon, but I'm not worried."_

 _"I am glad to hear it," Lessica told him._

 _"Yeah...and what about you?" he asked._

 _Lessica's eyebrows raised slightly. "I'm sorry?"_

 _He smiled warmly. Marie felt her heart flutter just a little at the sight of it. Up until just minutes before, she hadn't seen him smile like that in years. Seeing it now only made her realize how much she had missed it._

 _"We've really been asking too much of you," he said. "Are you okay?"_

 _She nodded. "Yes. Now that we have returned, I am almost fully recovered."_

 _"That's good to hear," he said with a brief nod. "Even you have to rest sometimes, Lessica."_

 _"I have been constructed in such a way that I do not grow weary," she told him, shaking her head. "There is no need for me to rest."_

 _He furrowed his brow. "Your body may be okay, but...if you don't take a mental break sometimes, you're going to burn out, you know?"_

 _"A mental break?" she repeated. Her face fell a little, probably as a result of mild embarrassment because she didn't seem to understand. "Can you tell me what one does during such a time?"_

 _Darwin paused. He'd obviously never had to explain the concept of a mental break to anyone before. "Um...I guess you might sleep...or maybe you could do something you enjoy while you relax someplace nice?"_

 _Lessica stayed quiet for a moment, clearly thinking over the new idea. "I see. In that case, I shall go to the library when I have a spare moment."_

 _"G-Great..." Darwin replied somewhat awkwardly. Marie smiled...he wasn't much of a reader, and he was probably thinking that poring over one of the library's multitude of texts wasn't much of a way to rest one's mind. Or, for all her knew, maybe she was thinking of organizing the shelves, which seemed like even less of a chance to relax! Still, being the kind person he was, he probably couldn't bring himself to say something that would potentially make Lessica feel more embarrassed._

Maybe it would take some time for Lessica to truly grasp the idea of a mental break.

The memory was bittersweet, in a way. She'd thought about how Lessica might need time to internalize his suggestions...time which she didn't have. Marie had been almost blissfully unaware of that at the time, so certain that Lessica would return to earth with everyone else...

She smiled, though, as her baby by the same name moved a little. Little Lessica undoubtedly possessed some of the older Lessica's soul and Sopia, and even though they were different people, there was so much about them that already seemed so similar.

And then, a notion crossed her mind. It was one that was perhaps the result of nostalgia, but it still made her kind of happy to think about.

She thought of what Darwin had said: "I guess you could sleep." And there she was, sleeping soundly. "Or maybe you could do something you enjoy while you relax someplace nice?" Lessica's favorite thing to do was to snuggle up to either one of her parents, and there was no place she loved more than in the arms of her mother or father.

Marie sat down on the floor so that she could be at the same level as both Darwin and Lessica. She gave Lessica a soft kiss on her head, which was covered by soft, ash blonde hair that was identical to her father's.

"You've been growing so much every day," she murmured, rubbing her baby's back. "You love your books so much...I can tell you're already a very smart little girl! Soon I bet you'll be sitting up on your own, too..." She sighed. Lessica was still so tiny and so helpless, but not quite as tiny and helpless as she had been when she was first born. It was hard to believe she'd come so far. "Mommy and Daddy will always be here for you when you need to take a break from it all. We'll support you, no matter where your life may take you. I know you're going to going to do great things someday, my sweet Lessica."

A much louder, sudden exhale prompted her to look up to Darwin's face, and she couldn't help but laugh. The sound he'd just made almost reminded her of a heavy sigh, as if he was waiting his turn. "All right, I'm getting to you! You're more impatient than Lessica when she's hungry..." As she looked at his peaceful expression, though, she laughed again. "Just kidding...besides, I can't tease you when you're sleeping and you look so innocent." She leaned in a little more and touched his cheek. "What can I even say about you...? There's too much. But...I'm grateful to you. Not just for taking care of Lessica today, or any other day, but...for everything." She closed her eyes. "You risk your life for us whenever you go away, and you've already died once saving me...and then, after my mom and dad died...well, who knows where I'd be now if you hadn't been there for me?" At that point, she knew she had to stop herself, or else she might start crying. "You're incredible, Darwin. I love you, and...I'm so glad I met you."

With that, she kissed him softly on the lips. She realized that she may have lingered for a little too long, because she heard him groan sleepily, and she knew he was awake. She pulled back slightly, watching his coal black lashes flutter to reveal his stunning, gray-green eyes.

He blinked a few times before smiling at her. "Hey...guess I fell asleep..."

She laughed, pushing his hair off his face and kissing him on the forehead. "Yes, and you weren't the only one who had an unscheduled nap."

"I know. I can tell because of the baby-sized warm spot on my chest and the drool reservoir she's started there." He smiled down at Lessica, who was still fast asleep. "Guess I have to wake her up, though, or else she won't sleep later."

"I'll do it," Marie said, carefully taking her off his chest. Prying the fabric of Darwin's shirt out of her little fist wasn't difficult, and she cradled the baby lovingly. "Besides, you were so helpful, and if you wake her up, she might get crabby with you! You don't deserve that." She turned her attention to her daughter. "Lessica, wake up now...you had a nice nap, but this isn't time to sleep!"

Darwin sat up slowly. "Just doing my job, that's all...and I fell asleep on said job, so I don't know if that merits such praise..."

Marie had successfully gotten Lessica to wake up, and she had started speaking to her in a genuinely cheerful and energetic way as the four-month-old took a moment to figure out where she was, and what exactly was going on.

"Hello there, sleepyhead!" she cooed. "Did you get some rest, my sweet baby girl? You must have been tired to fall asleep like that, but now, you're all ready to face the rest of your day, aren't you?" For a moment, Lessica just stared, but her mother's face and happy tone of voice soon registered with her. She gave Marie a smile of her own, which went over well. "Yes, you're all awake now, aren't you? You have so much to do today, we need to get right to it!"

Darwin watched the two of them and sighed. "I'm just glad neither one of us rolled over or anything before you came down...I won't be so careless in the future."

Marie shook her head. "Darwin, you don't need to keep beating yourself up over this. Everyone's fine, and honestly, it was kind of adorable to look at..." Seeing Lessica's hands reach for her hair, she tossed it over her shoulder so as to keep it from ending up tangled in her daughter's perpetually and inexplicably sticky fingers (at least for a moment). "Besides, I really did need that time to finish that work. You two just needed a mental break, that's all."

"A mental break..." Darwin repeated. He looked up, obviously thinking. "Why does that phrase make me feel nostalgic, somehow...?"

Marie stopped herself from answering right away. Although this particular memory from that day wasn't entirely unhappy, that had still been one of the hardest days of both of their lives. It had been years ago, and Darwin didn't quite have Marie's detailed memory...but that day had been especially hard on him, and it was frightening how details could come flooding back into his mind when he didn't want them to. Even after so much time, he was occasionally still haunted by nightmares of the terrible choices he had to make back then, so she never liked to remind him of it when it wasn't necessary.

She kissed him softly on the cheek. "I'm not sure...but I'll let you wake up a little more. In the meantime, it seems like a certain young lady could use a fresh diaper, so I'll take care of that."

She stood up, still holding Lessica close, and started to walk to the nursery. By the time she got to the stairs, she noticed a pair of wide, curious eyes in the same shade of gray and green as Darwin's staring up at her.

"He can try to figure it out on his own," Marie said to her. "There's no point in making Daddy sad when he doesn't need to be. Right?" Lessica cooed softly and shoved her fist into her mouth. "Right then. Let's move along...there's still plenty to do!"

Now that both father and daughter had gotten that mental break out of the way, it was time to face whatever the rest of the day had in store. As a family, they'd look toward the future, both near and distant, just like they always did.

* * *

 **I felt the need to correct the lack of CRII and the lack of activity in this category, and what better way to do it than with Darwin and Marie familial fluff! I haven't posted anything in a while, so reviews would be appreciated. And, of course, it seems like fans of this beautiful game series are hard to find, so it would be nice to meet some more!**


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